Combined copy-holder and tablet



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.) v i B. P. STUART.

COMBINED COPY HOLDER AND TABLET. No. 511,032. Patented Dec. 19, 1893.

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" Hill (No Model.) Q 2 Sh eets-Sheet 2.

' B; P. STUART. COMBINED COPY HOLDER AND TABLET. No. 511,032. PatentedDec. 19, 1893 A 9 C916? yamznffl heart W i lryzsscs UNiTnn STATES PATENTFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. STUART, OF 'WACO, TEXAS.

COMBINED COPY-HOLDER AND TABLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,032, dated December19, 1 893.

Application filed July 17,1393- Serial No. 480,751. (No model.)

To all whom it 12mg concern:

be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. STUART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waco, 1n the county of McLennan andState of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Qopy-Holder and Tablet, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a combined copyholder and tablet designed for useby stenographer's, merchants, copyists, and others wherein it isnecessary to set down matter to be preserved as a record or otherwiseused; and the objects in view are to produce a convenient devicedesigned to beeniployed either upon the lap of the operator or upon acountor or other convenient support, and to maintam in position forWriting a web of paper, thus requiring no holding of the same by theoperator; to provide means for conveniently paying out said web of paperas the same is used orconsumed to provide for conveniently tearing thepaper from the web into lengths convenient to the operator; to providefor a simple retention and support in aremovable manner of the roll uponwhich the web is mounted; and finally for a support of the device in aninclined position convenient for transcribing notes therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holderconstructed in accordance with my invention, the view being taken fromthe front. Fig.2is a perspec tive view, the same being taken from therear. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4. is adetail of one of the bearing-standards and a portion of the roll-shaft.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

In the practice of my invention I employ an oblong slab or table 1, thesame being of suitable dimensions and preferably constructedof wood, andthe upper end thereof Iprovide with a recess 2. Across the face of theslab or table 1 I secure a transverse metal strip 3, whose ends areperforated to receive screws 4 by which it is held in position. Betweenits ends the strip 3 is offset so as to form an intermediate space inconjunction with the upper surface of the slab or table for thepassageof paper in the manner to be described. A spring-finger 5 isriveted as at 6 to the strip 3, and at its lower end is designed to bearyieldingly upon the web of paper. Over the front end of the slab ortable there is pivoted a U-shaped metal end piece 7, the same having itsends perforated to receive screws 8 which pass therethrough into theslab or table and between its ends and throughout its width offset fromthe faces and end of the slab or table forming a passage. A metai endpiece or face-plate 9 is secured directly to the end of the slab ortable and combines with the U-shaped end piece 7 to form the aforesaidpassage. The U-shaped end piece 7 is provided at itscenter with anopening 10 so as to expose the passage thereunder.

Upon the under side of the slab or table at suitable distances apart andat intervals are located pairs of ways or clips 11, which agree indistance apart with the width of the web of paper to be employed.

In bearings 12 secured to the under side of the slab or table adjacentto the upper end and located transversei y opposite each other takeloosely the terminals 13 of a wire standard 14 which is capable of beingfolded snugly against the under side of the slab or table or swung at anangle therefrom to form a support therefor, the same being limited inthe latter position by means of bent ends 14' with which the terminalsof the standard 14 are provided beyond the aforesaid bearings 12 whichthey occupy.

A pair of standards 15 and 16 are secured to the under side of anddepend from the slab or table between the bearings 12 and the upper endthereof. The lower ends of these standards are loosely bent to form feet17 through which pass screws 18 into the slab or table. The standard 15has its lower end split and the bifurcations diverged and bent to formeyes 19. The said standard is further provided between its ends with abearing opening 20.

The standard 16 has its outer end provided with a bearing-eye 21 whichcorresponds with one office bearing eyes 19 ofthe companion standard,and a spring-tongue 22 is riveted as at 23 to the outer face of thestandard 16 and extends along the edge thereof to one end, where itsterminal is bent to form an eye 24,1:0 correspond with the remaining eye19 of the standard 15. Through these eyes 24, 21 and 19 a U-shapedlocking pin 25 is passed, one of the terminals of the lockingpin havinga notch 26 formed in one side near its end and designed to engage withthe adjacent eye 19 through .which it passes.

The standard 16 is provided at its upper side with a half-bearing 27over which the spring-tongue 22 extends and the said springtongueopposite its point is curved to form a half-bearing 28. A winding-shaft29 has one end inserted in the bearing 20 of the stand ard 15 and itsopposite end inserted in the half-bearings of the standard 16 and thespring-tongue 22,it being held in position by the latter and the tonguebeing prevented from movement by the presence of the locking-pin 25. Theshaft between its ends is triangular and is provided beyond the standard16 with a crank 31. At the point between the spring-tongue and thestandard 16 the shaft is provided with an annular hearing 32.

A shield 33 has its upper end laterally bent and perforated as at 35,and through the same screws are passed whereby the shield is helddepending from the under side of the slab ortable immediately in rear ofthe paper-roll 36 which the said shaft is designed to support.

In operation the locking-pin 25 is removed from the eyes 1.9, 21 and 24and the roll of paper mounted upon the shaft. The shaft is then insertedin the bearing 20 of the standard 15, and its remaining end placed inthe half-bearing of the standard 16, the springtongue 22 being forcedaway from the standard to permit of the insertion. When in position thelocking-pin 25 will be inserted so that the parts will be held securelyin position and the roll can only be moved with the shaft. The leadingend of the web of paperis withdrawn from the roll and passed between thestandard 14 and the under side of the slab or table, through the pairsof guides 11, under the U-shaped end piece, and over the upper side ofthe slab or table, under the holding-finger 5, and under the bearingstrip 3. When the web has been thus arranged it will be seen that it isheld securely in position and may be written upon without the necessityof the operator employing one hand to hold it. The shaft may be rotatedeither to take up a surplusage of paper or pay out the same as consumed,through the medium of the crank-handle with which said shaft isprovided. As the paper is used the leading end of the same is drawnunder the strip 3, the recess 2 facilitating the grasping of the paper.The paper may be severed at intervals by drawing the same across theupper edge of the strip 3, or if preferred, after having been writtenupon may be rewonnd upon the roll to be subsequently copied. In copying,the upper edge of the U-shaped end strip 7 may serve as aline-indicator. I, When being written upon, or used as ad'esk, thesupporting standard 13 is flatly folded against the under side of theslab or table, and when it is desired to transcribe from the notes orread the same, the slab or table is elevated and the supporting standard14 permitted to swing down to position.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, cheap, andconvenient device designed for general use, as well as by stenographers,amanuenses, 650., wherein a continuous Web of paper is employed that isaccurately guided and maintained in position and which may be easily fedin either direction over the face of the slab or table; and,furthermore, that when one web or roll is exhausted its place may berefilled by another.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of constructionherein shown and described, but hold that I may vary the same to anydegree and extent within the knowledge of the skilled mechanic. 7

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of theclass described, the combination with the slab or table, a tearing stripat the upper end thereof, a metal plate at the lower end thereof, aU-shaped plate spaced from and embracing the latter plate and secured tosaid lower end, of a roll-support arranged at the upper end of the tableat the under side thereof, substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with the slab ortable,a tearing strip at the upper end thereof, a metal plate at thelower end thereof, a U-shaped plate spaced from and embracing thelatterplate and secured to said lower end, of a roll-support arranged atthe upper end of the table at the under side thereof, and theintermediate guides 11 arranged in pairs upon the under side of the slabor table, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a slab ortable having opposite bearings, of awire standard having its endsdiverged and loosely journaled in the bearings and extending beyond thesame and bent to form stop-arms for hearing against the under side ofthe slab or table, substantially as specified.

t. In a device of the class described, the combination with the slab ortable, and the paper guides, of the standards 15 and 16 depending fromthe under side of the same near the upper end thereof, each provided atits ends with eyes and between its ends with bearings, a shaft rotatablymounted in the bearings and adapted to be removed therefrom andterminating at one end in a crank-handle, and a locking-pin for securingthe eyes of the two standards together, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the slab or table, and the paper guides, of thedepending standards 15 and 16, the lower end of the former beingbifurcated and its bifurcations oppositely disposed and bent to formeyes 19 and provided above the same with a bearing, and the latterstandard 16 having its lower end bent to one side to form an eye andabove the same provided with a half-bearing, a spring-tongue secured tothe standard and terminating at its end in a corresponding eye 24 andbetween its ends provided with a halfbearing, a U -shaped locking pinpassing

